Democratic Process: A Conversation

By Dick Withers 

Unitarian Universalists have historically ascribed to principles that include “…(T)he right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.” (The Fifth Principle)

In three workshops this past winter, we explored what we mean by democracy, democratic processes and the role of individual conscience in society.   The political rhetoric leading up to the November 2024 elections about threats to American democracy was alarming and inspired us to take a closer look at our commitment to democratic processes. This report from our workshops is in three installments and includes discussion handouts and exercises. Watch for the next two installments as we prepare to look at our Fifth Principle on Sunday Morning, November 23.

We want to share with you something of our conversations and perspectives from the workshops last winter. Our goal is to continue building on these conversations as we face the challenges ahead to reinvent and rebuild our communities and the nation.

Read the full PDF report here.